Air carriers move to relaunch international routes, expand domestic flights

South Korean carriers are moving to relaunch their long-waited international routes as well as expand domestic flights, slowly recovering from the impact of COVID-19 outbreak, industry sources said Friday.

According to the country’s largest LCC by sales Jeju Air, it will resume operation of Incheon-Manila route once a week from June 6.

The airliner said it was due to the demand from Korean residents living in the Philippines.

Jeju Air currently runs service to three overseas destinations in Japan and China.

Full service carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are also set to resume operation of 32 US and Canada routes and 13 international routes from June, respectively.

Air Busan, Asiana Airlines’ budget carrier, said it also plans to sell tickets at a promotion price to prepare for resumption of international routes in July.

Meanwhile, Korean Air’s budget carrier Jin Air said it would run Daegu-Jeju, Gimpo-Busan, Gimpo-Gwangju routes regularly from June 1, making its domestic routes to a total of seven.

They will be operated from twice to four times a day depends on the route, air carrier said.

Jin Air official said with expansion of domestic route, the air carrier hopes to contribute to revitalizing the local economy and activation of regional airports.